Engine and electrical machine health monitoring

Abstract

Systems and methods for estimating engine and electrical machine health are provided. The systems and methods therefore include features that provide for improved health estimates of one or more engines and/or electrical machines of one or more engines having an electrical machine embedded therein or coupled thereto. In particular, the systems and methods therefore include features for utilizing sensed or measured operating parameters of the electrical machines and/or operating parameters of the prime mover to estimate the health of the prime mover and/or the electrical machines embedded therein or coupled thereto.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for monitoring the health of at least one of a prime mover and an electrical machine coupled with the prime mover, the method comprising:
 pulsing the electrical machine to induce a change in torque on the electrical machine; 
 measuring a response to the change in torque on the electrical machine caused by pulsing of the electrical machine, the response indicative of a change in one or more operating parameters of the prime mover; and 
 determining a health estimate of at least one of the electrical machine and the prime mover based at least in part on the response. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein pulsing the electrical machine to induce the change in torque on the electrical machine comprises pulsing, via a film foil capacitor, the electrical machine to induce the change in torque on the electrical machine. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein during determining, the method further comprises:
 comparing the response to a baseline response; and 
 determining a delta between the response and the baseline response; 
 wherein the health estimate is based at least in part on the delta between the response and the baseline response. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the change in the one or more operating parameters is indicative of a change in a power output of the prime mover. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the response is a fuel flow response indicative of a change in fuel flow of the prime mover. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prime mover is a gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and having a low pressure shaft and a high pressure shaft each rotatable about the axial direction, the electrical machine coupled to at least one of the low pressure shaft and the high pressure shaft and at least partially rotatable about the axial direction, and wherein the response is at least one of a N 1  speed response and an N 2  response indicative of the low pressure shaft and the high pressure shaft of the gas turbine engine, respectively. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prime mover is a gas turbine engine defining an axial direction and comprising a low pressure shaft and a high pressure shaft each rotatable about the axial direction, and wherein the electrical machine is a first electrical machine coupled to the low pressure shaft and at least partially rotatable about the axial direction, and wherein the gas turbine engine further comprises a second electrical machine coupled to the high pressure shaft and at least partially rotatable about the axial direction, and wherein the response is a power response indicative of a power output of the second electrical machine of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prime mover is a gas turbine engine and the electrical machine is an electrical generator. 
     
     
       9. A method for monitoring the health of at least one of a prime mover and an electrical machine coupled with the prime mover, the method comprising:
 obtaining operating data indicative of one or more operating parameters of the electrical machine measured over a predetermined time during operation of the prime mover and the electrical machine; 
 generating a parameter function based at least in part on the operating data, wherein the parameter function is indicative of at least one of the operating parameters of the electrical machine trended from a present time to at least a future time in which the parameter function intersects a predetermined threshold indicative of a value in which the electrical machine is no longer able to supply a predetermined power output to a load connected thereto; and 
 determining a health estimate of at least one of the electrical machine and the prime mover based at least in part on the parameter function. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:
 obtaining operating data indicative of one or more operating parameters of the prime mover measured over a predetermined time during operation of the prime mover and the electrical machine; 
 generating a parameter function based at least in part on the operating data, wherein the parameter function is indicative of at least one of the operating parameters of the prime mover trended over time; and 
 wherein, during determining, the health estimate is determined based at least in part on the parameter function of the electrical machine and the parameter function of the prime mover. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the health estimate is indicative of a useful life remaining of at least one of the prime mover and the electrical machine, and wherein the useful life remaining is determined based at least in part on an intersection of the parameter function and the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more operating parameters include at least one of a current flow through the electrical machine, a voltage across the electrical machine, and a torque on the electrical machine. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , wherein prior to generating, the method further comprises:
 normalizing the one or more operating data; and 
 providing information to a user indicative of the health estimate of at least one of the prime mover and the electrical machine. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein during normalizing, the one or more operating parameters are normalized for variation in an operating condition and a power setting of the prime mover. 
     
     
       15. A gas turbine engine defining a radial direction and an axial direction, the gas turbine engine comprising:
 a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section arranged in serial flow order, the compressor section, the combustion section, and the turbine section at least partially defining a core air flowpath; 
 one or more sensors for sensing one or more operating parameters of the gas turbine engine during operation; 
 a rotary component rotatable with at least one of a portion of the compressor section and a portion of the turbine section; 
 a static frame member; 
 an electric machine rotatable with the rotary component, the electric machine mounted to the static frame member or coupled to the rotary component, or both; 
 a power source; and 
 a health monitoring system comprising one or more computing devices communicatively coupled with the electrical machine and the one or more sensors, the one or more computing devices comprising one or more processors and one or more memory devices, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the one or more computing devices configured to:
 cause the power source to pulse the electrical machine; 
 obtain one or more signals from the one or more sensors indicative of a response to a change in torque on the electrical machine caused by pulsing the electrical machine via the power source, the response indicative of a change in one or more operating parameters of the gas turbine engine; 
 compare the response to a baseline response; 
 determine a delta between the response and the baseline response; and 
 determine a health estimate of the gas turbine engine based at least in part on the delta between the response and the baseline response. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The gas turbine engine of  claim 15 , wherein the change in the one or more operating parameters is indicative of a change in a power output of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
       17. The gas turbine engine of  claim 15 , wherein the combustion section includes a fuel delivery system for delivering fuel, and wherein the response is a fuel flow response indicative of a fuel flow delivered by the fuel delivery system to the combustion section of the gas turbine engine. 
     
     
       18. The gas turbine engine of  claim 15 , wherein the rotary component of the gas turbine engine includes at least one of a low pressure shaft and a high pressure shaft each rotatable about the axial direction, the electrical machine coupled to at least one of the low pressure shaft and the high pressure shaft, and wherein the response is at least one of a N 1  speed response and an N 2  response indicative of the low pressure shaft and the high pressure shaft of the gas turbine engine, respectively. 
     
     
       19. The gas turbine engine of  claim 15 , wherein in causing the power source to pulse the electrical machine, the one or more computing devices are configured to cause the power source to pulse the electrical machine in at least one of a stepwise and a sinusoidal manner. 
     
     
       20. The gas turbine engine of  claim 15 , wherein the gas turbine engine includes a gas-path sensor positioned along the core air flowpath for measuring one or more operating parameters during operation of the gas turbine engine, and wherein during determining the health estimate, the computing device utilizes the operating parameters measured by the gas-path sensor in conjunction with the operating parameters measured by the sensors to determine the health estimate of at least one of the gas turbine engine and the electrical machine.